In a bid to build necessary partnership road maps for advancing Nigerian Army and Defense Attachés and Advisers of aligned nations to Nigeria, for more effective delivery of military mandate, the Chief of Army Staff Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja has organised an interactive forum with 27 accredited Defence Attachés and Advisers (DAs) to Nigeria, led by the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
In his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja said the forum is an avenue to established other social avenue through which they can engage in order to move relationship between the Nigerian Army NA and countries the DAs represents forward.
The COAS expressed appreciation for their visit to the Army Headquarters and registered his desire for further engagements. He lauded the cooperation existing between the Nigerian Army (NA) and the armies of the various nations represented by the Defence Attachés, especially in the areas of training, operations and Defence procurement.
The Army Chief assured the DAs of other avenues, that will afford more conducive atmosphere for further interactions, sharing of ideas and experiences towards sustaining the existing bilateral relations between the NA and their various countries.
In his remarks during the visit, the Doyen, Defence Attaché from India, Colonel Legha Romi on behalf of other Defence Attachés thanked the COAS for the unique opportunity of combined interactions with the Defence Attachés of diverse countries. He said its an opportunity for them to learn among themselves and to benefit from countries they are interacting with.
He opined that the numbers of Defence Attaché from countries for interactions to be increased as they look forward to share ideas and experiences. He solicited for further interactions and engagements that will facilitate mutual benefits and experiences between Nigeria and each of the countries represented by the DAs.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye said, the Attaché, and Advisers wished to bilaterally engage with the Nigerian Army, therefore an opportunity was created to interact, support, facilitate our various activities of respectful needs.
Major General Undiandeye noted that the forum is the first of its kind to discuss and interact, to present the concern challenges and interactive issues that are alterative to them and our daily activities while deployed as Defense adviser and Attaché.
He maintained that the Defense Attachés and Advisers' interaction with the COAS will provide them the opportunity to present concerned challenges and other issues of interest.
Welcoming the Defense Attachés and Advisers of aligned nations, the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Abdulsalam Ibrahim said the COAS considered it expedient to invite distinguished Defense Attachés and Advisers to session to serve as a central forum for this interaction as well as discussion pertinent bilateral and multinational Issues.
He said the forum is expected to stimulate discourse of total issues affecting or collective mandate of facilitating armies enhancement of peace and security.
"The gathering is also to envisage the necessary part of synergy and seamless implementation of initiative to mutually enhance our mandate. It is our hope that this session will spur purposeful deliberation and yield proactive suggestions that can assist in addressing our numerous securities and other challenges.", he noted.
A defence attaché (DA) is a member of the armed forces who serves in an embassy as a representative of his/her country’s defence establishment abroad and in this capacity enjoys diplomatic status and immunity. DA is a generic term that covers personnel from all branches of the armed services, although some larger countries may appoint an attaché to represent an individual service branch, such as an air force or naval attaché.
The DA is usually responsible for all aspects of bilateral military and defence relations. Some countries also deploy attachés to work on other security issues, such as migration or police and justice matters.
Members of a country’s armed forces may also serve as part of a military mission to a regional organisation such as NATO, the EU, ECOWAS or the UN.
By SpyeTV
